The Emily Winters Chronicles: Almost Home
by probably-not-rassilon
Summary: Part of the Sanctuary!Verse. When she gets accepted to the prestigious Sanctuary Program, Emily Winters discovers that she's not human, but a Time Lord in human disguise. How will she cope with discovering a side of herself that she didn't know existed? And what will happen when a conspiracy from years ago brings Sanctuary into contact with the remaining members of Torchwood Four?
1. The Remnant of Gallifrey

My mother didn't cry when I left.

Of course, I was just going away to school as far as she was concerned, but I didn't care. The guards said it was forever.

"St. Romana's Academy," the van driver said. "Your new home. Alright, everyone off."

We all filed out of the van and congregated in front of the gate. It was the first day of a new school year, and most of the students who rode with me were excited to see their friends again. The girl who sat behind me during the ride turned to me and held out a hand. "I'm Calyn," she said shyly. She was about a foot shorter than me and had startlingly green eyes and ginger hair.

"Emily." I smiled and shook her hand. "Are you new here?"

"Yeah. It's my freshman year." She laughed. "I'm terrified."

"It's okay," I agreed. "Me too, if we're being honest."

"I hope we're roommates. That would be great."

The gate opened. A tall, quite attractive senior boy with light brown hair and a dark red school blazer walked towards us. "My name is Josiah Ellison. I'm one of your student leaders. If you'll please follow me, I've been told to bring you to assembly."

Josiah led us to an amphitheater and helped us all to find our seats. I sat next to Calyn. Through the speakers, a classic rock song I couldn't quite make out was playing. "Can you hear that song?" I asked her.

"Sounds like Subdivisions by Rush."

"Thanks."

"Have you ever heard it? Good song."

A woman in a dark red dress styled like a Greek chiton came into the center of the amphitheater.

"Greetings, new and returning students!" she said, met with cheers by the audience. "My name is Lady Cassandra, not that awful trampoline woman, so don't ask. I am the headmistress and founder of this school."

She couldn't have been the founder, I remember thinking, she was too young.

But then she continued her speech. "You have all been selected for admission because you are not human. Raise your hand if you have ever been nearly kidnapped, or have been kidnapped, by government agents."

Calyn raised her hand slowly with a few others, but not many. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Raise your hand if you have memories of other times or other worlds." My hand shot up, as did several others in the crowd.

"Good, good. Now, raise your hand if you can remember things most people forget. Strange things."

Every single student in the crowd raised their hand.

"You are not human. Many years ago, there was a war. The Last Great Time War. Our people, the Time Lords, fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And our home was lost. But there is hope. Gallifrey lives on in you, every one of you. The Sanctuary Program was created in the earliest days of the War to save what we could of our race. You were turned into human children and sent to this world for your own protection. Welcome home, children of Gallifrey. Welcome home."

There were cheers throughout the crowd. Many of us already knew. I had an idea, mostly because I watched Doctor Who, but I wasn't prepared for it to be real.

I looked over at Calyn, who smiled at me.

"Follow your class leaders, they'll show you to your rooms. Please leave the amphitheater in an orderly manner."

I followed Catherine Davis, the student leader for the girls' dorm. "Right then, come with me. Your school uniforms have already been requisitioned, so you don't have to worry about what to wear tomorrow."

A girl wearing a pink shirt, a white miniskirt, and a white cardigan raised her hand. "We don't have to wear those awful Gallifreyan robes, do we?"

"For special occasions, yeah," Catherine replied, offended that the girl had even opened her mouth.

"What's your name, first year?"

"Abigail. Abigail Redmond."

"Yes, well, this is your culture, Redmond. Love it or leave it."

Abigail lowered her head. "Sorry," she muttered. "Bitch."

"Alright. Winters, Ambrose, you're in dorm one. Go get settled in." Calyn and I high-fived and walked into the room. It was beautiful. The room was painted a shifting blue-grey color and had large windows lining one wall. In a recess in the wall, there was a button. I pressed it, and the windows went dark. I pressed it again and the tint was gone. There were two bunk beds set into another wall. There was also a silver writing desk and an Apple computer in the corner, and two dressers, one marked "Calyn Ambrose" and one marked "Emily Winters."

I opened my drawer. In the drawer, there was a dark blue school blazer, a few grey collared shirts, and a couple of blue plaid skirts. Calyn had the same, only red and gold.

"Do we have to wear these today?" I asked.

"Don't think so. The girl I was sitting next to on the bus said the first day back is a free day."

"Cool! So, want to go explore? This place looks huge."

"Sure."

Calyn and I walked out towards the gardens. Well, I walked towards the gardens. She was aiming for the Coke machines.

"Can you get me a root beer?" I called once I saw where she was headed.

"Yeah."

"Thanks." She came back and tossed me a soda bottle, then sat next to me on the bench.

"So what's your story?" I asked her.

"I was kidnapped when I was younger. By Torchwood." She shivered. "They tried to induce regeneration. I could have died."

I put my arm around her. "Did your parents get you out?"

"No, they... sent me there. They thought it was a... a therapy center or something." She buried her face in her hands. "Lady Cassandra got me out when someone blew up the building. We never found out who it was."

"I'm sorry."

I got up and held out a hand to her, which she took. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault." We started walking again. "So what's your story then? Since you were so very curious to know mine."

"I was adopted as a baby, my family was actually really great, but one day I came home and they were meeting with these two military guys wearing red berets."

"Must have been UNIT, then. They have a deal with the headmistress."

"Yeah, I figured as much. Anyway, these guys said I was selected for a special school. St. Romana's, it was called. Under the Sanctuary scholarship."

"A scholarship to a prep school. As cover stories go, it's not bad."

"Yep. So now I'm here!" I waved awkwardly.

A boy in a fez who looked a little like Catherine Davis walked up to us. "Hi! I'm Ansel. Catherine's brother. Is all of that true? Is everyone here really a Time Lord?"

"Great," Calyn said. "Our student leader is going to be stuck babysitting a fanboy in a fez. We're never going to get any work done."

"Fezzes are cool," Ansel said.

"Shut up." Calyn and I went back to our room, where there was a bouquet of flowers on my bed.

"Looks like they sent you a welcome gift," she said.

I took the bouquet and read the note out loud. "Welcome to Sanctuary, from your friends in the Cerulean Chapter. We look forward to meeting you tonight at the First Day Celebration." I looked over at Calyn. "Cerulean Chapter, what does that mean?"

"Ever read Divergent?"

"Yeah."

"Well, and this is just how Lady Cassandra explained it to me, there were six Chapters back home. Each one had its own personality traits and its own job in society. It's like the system from Divergent."

"I get it. And Cerulean is...?"

"Amity. Nurturing, compassionate, likes the outdoors."

"What are you?"

"Prydonian. We're leaders, strategists, diplomats, and sometimes renegades. That's what the Doctor is."

"I see."

I got out my phone and texted a friend of mine, Jessica Rue.

/At the school. This is brilliant

/wat?

/Dunno how much I can tell you. But I'll give you the full story this summer.

/i look forward to it :D

/Bye. Gtg get ready for dinner

~8~

"So, do we sit together at dinner?" I asked.

"Yeah, but you're required to sit with your Chapter one day a week because of our evil self-defense instructor. Lady Camila's the kind of person who not only thinks that we're still on Gallifrey, but that she actually deserves our respect."

"Is this the day?"

"Special occasion, I'd say yes. Unfortunately, the dress code is ceremonial, so..."

Fifteen minutes later I was dressed in a light blue, floor-length gown with a collar that resembled a satellite dish. "How do I look?" I asked, giving a small twirl.

"Not bad, actually."

"I'd love to see that spoiled little brat from the tour right now."

"I know, right?" We went to the dining hall and I took my place at a table occupied by several other students in blue. Some of the students had set down platters of food. Spaghetti and meat sauce, it looked like.

"Hi," I said to the girl on my right.

"Hi! Are you a first year?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "I'm a little nervous. Are there any teachers I should watch out for? I'm Emily, by the way."

"Grace. And yeah, definitely watch out for Lady Camila. And we're supposed to be getting a new Temporal Technology instructor this year. Don't know who."

"Cool, thanks."

"Yeah. So, you've met me, a few others you might want to meet..." she began pointing out some others around the table... "Megan, Jared, Tiana, Charlie, Alex, and Will."

"Hi, guys."

"Hi," Megan replied. "Emily, right? You're going to love Sanctuary."

"Yeah, that's what everyone seems to say. It definitely looks like a nice place. My room is amazing. Ooh, let me get some of that pasta, I'm starved."

I put some of it into a bowl and started eating.

"So, how was everyone's summer?" Grace asked.

"Mine was awful," Jared said. "My host dad found out my identity. Apparently, he used to be a part of this UFO cult in college. Thought I was in one too."

"Sweet mother of Rassilon," Tiana remarked, "that sounds awful."

"Keep saying things like 'sweet mother of Rassilon' and everybody will think we're a UFO cult," Jared deadpanned.

I stifled a laugh. I had said things like that even before I found out about my past. "So how'd you get out?" I asked him.

"I called the helpline. Protocol 77. My poor dad doesn't remember a thing."

"They wiped his memory?"

"It had to be done."

"Yeah. I suppose so..." I trailed off, staring at a quite attractive freshman boy wearing heliotrope and neon yellow. "Who's he?"

"You mean my roommate?" Will asked.

"I guess. Are all the cute guys gay?"

"Sam isn't gay."

"Only a gay dude would wear that shade of purple."

"Around here, it just means he's an art geek."

"Can you introduce me to your not gay friend?" I asked.

"I can tell him you're interested."

"Works for me."

After dinner, I met Calyn in the common room. "Cal, I think I'm in love," I said while we played virtual soccer.

"Okay."

"His name is Sam. He's a freshman too. One of the guys at my table said he'd introduce us."

"Cool," Calyn grunted.

"Are you even listening?"

"Uh, yeah."

"There's a fleet of Dalek ships above the campus right now."

"That's nice."

"Thought so! You're totally not listening. I'm going to bed. Long day."

"I'll be up in a bit."

"Alright."

I went up the spiral staircase and into my room, then took a quick shower. I was already in bed before Calyn got there.

~8~

"Alright," the instructor said the next morning. "I'm Professor Leion, and I am the new Temporal Technology instructor. Some of you probably saw me walking out of the school TARDIS without a shirt. I can promise you, I had just been nearly killed, it wasn't what it looked like. Anyway," he said, pulling up one sleeve of his suit jacket to reveal a wide wrist strap, "who can tell me what this is?"

Calyn's hand shot up.

"Yes?"

"It's a Vortex Manipulator, isn't it? Are you a Time Agent?"

"No, but I got it from one. What's your name?"

"Calyn Ambrose. Hold on... I know you! You were the one who blew up the... but no, you can't be..."

"Blew up the what?" Professor Leion asked.

"Torchwood Four. I was trapped there, and you blew up the building."

"Nonsense," he said, "Torchwood Four has been MIA for years."

"No, I'm certain."

"Everyone, Calyn was correct in saying that this is a Vortex Manipulator, and that they are standard issue for Time Agents. When they work, which mine does, they can be used to go anywhere," he teleported behind an unsuspecting Ansel Davis, who nearly peed his pants, "anytime," he appeared in between two students who were passing notes in the back of the lecture hall, "with almost no limitations." He was once again at the front of the room.

"But isn't it, like, really uncomfortable?" I asked.

"If it's your first time using one, then yes. But you get used to it after a few tries."

"Are we going to learn how to use one?"

"Yes," he said, "Lady Cassandra was very insistent that you become proficient in every form of temporal manipulation, not just TARDIS travel."

"Nice," I whispered.

"Alright, before we get into the practical section of the class, we need to go over the rules. Everyone, get out your notebooks and write this down."

Calyn handed me a sheet of paper. "What's this for?" I asked. "I'm using the notes app on my iPad."

"Read it," she whispered.

I read it. _He's the guy who blew up the building,_ it said. _I'm sure of it._

 _Okay?_ I responded.

 _But this doesn't make sense. Lady Cassandra saves my life seconds after a mysterious stranger plants a bomb in the wall of my cell, now Mr. Terrorist is teaching at my school. What's happening?_

 _Obviously she fancies him,_ I responded, _it's hard not to. Have you seen him? But he's clueless. Maybe it's like River and the Doctor and he doesn't know that they're married in the future._

 _How do YOU know they're married in the future?_

 _I don't, it's just a guess._

Professor Leion teleported behind us. "Problem, girls?" he asked

"No, there's no problem... holy shit, I did not expect that."

"Language, Miss Winters."

"Sorry."

"Don't let me catch you passing notes again."

"You won't."

"Now, back to the lesson," he continued his lecture on fixed points and the Primary Law of Time.

Lady Cassandra stepped into the lecture hall. "Chris, can I borrow you for a second?" she asked.

He went over to her. "Yes?"

"Just checking on you. How's your first class going?"

"It's going alright. Although one of the students, that Ambrose girl, accused me of blowing up the headquarters of an organization that is listed as MIA on all government records."

I continued listening in on their conversation. Cassandra raised her eyebrows at him. "Is that so?" she asked in a tone that implied she knew more than she was willing to say. God, they really were like River and the Doctor.

"Yeah. And if you know something about this, you need to tell me. I work with Torchwood Three. I have a right to know."

"I can't tell you. Too much foreknowledge is dangerous and I care too much about you to risk anything."

"You care about the entire Remnant. What's different here?"

"Everything." And with that, the headmistress walked back out of the lecture hall.

"Well," the professor said, "that's all the time we have for today. We'll continue from here tomorrow."

~8~

"We've got Camila next," Calyn said on the way to our next class. "Five dollars says she'll single out some poor sap to be her target for the year _again._ "

"You've had her before? I thought you were a freshman."

"I am, but I've heard things from the others in my Chapter. Every year she picks a new student to haze."

"Well _she_ definitely sounds like a little ray of sunshine."

"Don't let her hear that. She'll think you're being serious and try to prove you wrong."

We filed into the training center, which was essentially a long, low glass-and-stone building with an engraving above the door that said _STRENGTH THROUGH DISCIPLINE._

"Come on, get your seats, don't keep me waiting," a woman in black and white robes said.

"Is she wearing a penguin costume?" I asked Calyn.

"She was in the Celestial Intervention Agency. They're sort of like... Gallifreyan secret agents? Just like America's CIA. Lady Cassandra almost was too, but Camila edged her out of the rankings."

"So in your Divergent analogy from last night, they'd be Dauntless."

"Guess so."

Camila elegantly walked to the front of the room. "Hello," she said. "I am your self-defense instructor. I am Lady Camila, but you will address me as 'my lady' or leave my training center. Any questions?"

Everyone looked at each other in stunned silence.

"Very well, let us begin." She looked at her attendance sheet. "Miss Hannah Saxon, front and center."

A small girl, younger than everybody else in the training center, walked apprehensively to the front of the room, tapping a familiar four-count rhythm on her skirt as she walked. "Yes, my lady?" the girl said with noticeable hesitation.

"Perhaps you'd like to tell us a little about your family," Lady Camila said in a voice that would have sounded kind if it weren't hers.

"My father was a politician," Hannah said. "Um, he was the prime minister of the United Kingdom."

"The truth, Miss Saxon."

"He was a good man. None of it was him," she continued the constant tapping, _1234 1234 1234,_ on her skirt, "it was all the signal. If Rassilon hadn't made him that way, he would have been a good Time Lord."

"We did what was necessary for the preservation of our race."

Hannah was almost in tears. "I want to go home," she whispered, shuffling back to her seat.

"The purpose of this class is to train you to defend yourselves against the enemies and traitors to our kind. Miss Saxon's genetic contributor was none other than Koschei Oakdown, known to many as the Master, notorious enemy of all that we stand for."

That couldn't be okay with Lady Cassandra. Hannah was only a child, no matter who she was related to, and to put a child on the spot like that was a very cruel way to make a point. But if I confronted her, I would get the same treatment. I decided to wait.

"This is the first time that she's chosen a Legacy as a target," someone whispered.

"Are you kidding? The Master's daughter? It was fate."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't expecting it."

After the lesson, I caught up to Hannah in the courtyard. She was sitting on a bench watching the fish in the pond. "Hey, I'm Emily."

"Hannah," she said.

"Are you alright?"

"As much as I can be."

"So, you look a little young to be sent away to a boarding school. Why is that?"

"I'm a Legacy. Basically, I'm the Master's clone daughter, one of the first generation to grow up away from Gallifrey, and literally just as crazy as he is."

"You don't seem crazy."

"There's this sort of tapping noise inside my head. Not always, but most of the time." She brushed her hand against mine and I heard it for a brief moment. "It's hereditary. It actually got better after I was initiated, oddly enough."

"How were you initiated? Gallifrey is gone."

"There are openings into the vortex everywhere. You just have to know how to find them."

I smiled at Hannah. "So how long do you have to stay here?"

"I'm in for the long haul. 120 years."

"Good luck. I'm only here for four."

~8~

Lady Cassandra's secret history class was next, starting with Queen Victoria and the creation of Torchwood in 1879.

"But don't we have a right to know that the British Royal Family are werewolves?" one of the boys asked.

"Not a right that they recognize," Lady Cassandra said. "As you will learn in this class, federal governments are very intent on keeping all strange and unusual occurrences off the record. What was your name again?"

"Liam Roberts, my lady."

"I'm glad you brought that up, Roberts. You definitely have a critical mind. That will serve you well. Now, time for a review." She went around the room, strangely skipping over Calyn for some reason. When the bell rang for midday reflection, I went up to Calyn. "Why did she skip over you?"

"Probably because she thought I couldn't handle it. That is the organization that kidnapped me, after all... except for Jack's team, Torchwood isn't a group that I make a habit of trusting."

"Have you met them? Torchwood Three, I mean."

"No, but Lady Cassandra has. I practically grew up with her, remember? She saved my life and helped me prepare to come here."

~8~

Midday reflection was really just a glorified free period. If we wanted to, we could go to tutoring or study hall, and some did, but I chose to stay in the student lounge. Mainly because that's where Sam was.

When I found him, he was doing something on his laptop. I didn't want to disturb him, so I just sat next to him and waited.

"Hi," I said nervously.

"Hey. You're Emily, right?"

"Yeah. What's that?" I asked, pointing to the code he was writing.

"I'm designing a TARDIS flight simulator. It's not even close to finished, but it's gonna be awesome." He pushed his glasses up. "I'm in the Patrexes Chapter, we're sort of known for being artists and inventors. Everyone's working on something."

"Nice." I took a closer look at it. "Is that a Gallifreyan programming language?"

"Yep. I'm used to JavaScript, so as you can imagine, this was quite the adjustment."

"I can't make heads or tails of it," I said. "So, this is your first year too?"

"Yeah. I just came from Texas. More like I just _escaped_ from Texas."

"I'm from Oregon."

"You're lucky, is what you are. I spent the last 14 years living with host parents whose Bible Belts were cutting off the oxygen to their brains. The only reason they let me come here is because they thought it was a reform school."

I thought about that. "They sound positively awful. Want to go get a coffee or something, or do you want to work on your simulator?"

"Is this a date?"

"Maybe." I smiled.

"Maybe I would love to." He got up and held out a hand for me. "Shall we?"

I took his hand and walked with him to the library, which had a small cafe in one corner. "I'll pay," I

said, taking out my Sanctuary Student Credits card. Everyone at Sanctuary got a monthly allowance, but we could earn more by becoming a student apprentice or taking a job on campus. "What do you want?"

"Just a plain iced coffee is fine."

"I'm getting a spiced apple cider and some lemon bars."

"Ooh, I love lemon bars," he said.

I went up and paid for our order, then came back to the table. "Here you are," I handed him a small iced coffee, "and here I am. Lemon bars are in the bag if you want one." I took my apple cider out of the cup carrier and sat down.

Sam was smiling like an idiot.

"What?" I asked

"I'm on a _date._ Back home I wasn't even allowed to look at a girl... and now that I can, you really are beautiful... but still."

"If this bothers you, we can leave."

"Not at all. I'm just having a little trouble believing it." He took a sip of his coffee. "I mean it, though. You have beautiful eyes. I can tell there's a lot behind them."

"Thanks, that's really sweet," I said. "So, what's your opinion on Lady Camila? Personally, I think she's terrible." I told him what she did to Hannah.

"She took a kid who just got back from Initiation and put her business out there for everyone to see? Wow. I swear, one day she's going to try and destroy the universe or something."

"Actually," I said, "I'm pretty sure the reason she's like this is because she used to go out with Rassilon. She's just in denial that the relationship is over."

Sam busted a gut laughing. "You know, I ship that harder than I've ever shipped anything. In my life."

I had to laugh at that. "Same, there's literally nobody else on Earth or Gallifrey that she'd be happy with."

"I want to show you something," he said, taking his laptop out of his bag.

"What is it?"

"One second, and... here." He turned the screen towards me and my jaw dropped.

It was the two of us having a picnic on the slopes of Mount Cadon, on Gallifrey.

"That looks so realistic," I said in awe. "There's no way you just photoshopped that."

"Actually, it's an editing program I made. This can seamlessly change the background of a photo to literally anything."

"That's cool."

"Thanks."

"Welcome. I think reflection is almost over. What's your next class?"

"I've got Gallifreyan philosophy. You?"

"The same. Sit next to me?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

~8~

The rest of my classes (physics, biology, mathematics, Gallifreyan history, philosophy, and linguistics) were uneventful. Lady Cassandra taught two of them, and linguistics was taught by a surprisingly relaxed Prydonian who told us to "just call her Kat" and provided a nice break from the uptight atmosphere of my other classes. I apparently had a natural ability to read, write, and speak in Gallifreyan. "Not many exiles have that ability," Kat said. "But the subconscious can express itself in mysterious ways." Languages in general seemed to be something I excelled at. I made a mental note to learn some alien profanities to fire at my neighbor's psychotic Chihuahua next summer. Mrs. Wachowski would never have to know that I was calling her dog a "pestilential demon baby" in Skarosian.

~8~

At dinner, I sat at a table with Sam, Hannah, and Calyn. "You would not believe how annoying Prydonians are," Calyn said. "Literally, they _do not_ stop talking. Ever. It's like a competition to see who can out-talk everyone else."

"I like them," Hannah added. "It was always so dull with my old foster family."

"I had a pretty fun night last night," Sam said. "Bunch of art geeks being art geeks. This one dude got up on the table and started acting out the speech from The Pandorica Opens. How was your dinner last night, Ems? Anyone try to seduce a tree?"

"No, but everyone was going out of their way to make me feel welcome. It was sort of nice once you got over the feeling that you were being love bombed." I shivered, I had studied group persuasion tactics a few months ago and was now constantly on guard for anything suspicious. Don't judge me, it was a purely academic interest.

"Ceruleans are like that all the time," Hannah said. "Some of the sweetest people I've ever met were wearing grey and blue. It's in their nature, no pun intended."

I took a bite of my bacon cheeseburger. "Is the food here always this good?"

"If the past two days are anything to go by, I'd say yeah."

"Beats my school lunches," Sam said in between bites. "Have you been by the café? Love those lemon bars."


	2. Camila's Story

"Shit, I'm late," I whispered as I frantically got dressed and ready for breakfast, my alarm ringing loudly in the background. "And I have Camila's class after this. Perfect. Why do these things always happen to me?"

I ran downstairs and into the dining hall. Breakfast was almost over, but I managed to grab some sausage links, a waffle, and two over easy eggs.

"What did I miss?" I asked, sliding into my seat at the Big Four table.

"Not much," Calyn said. "Just trying to calm Hannah down."

"Are you nervous about Lady Camila's class?" I asked Hannah.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because some senior douchebag in our Chapter told her that Camila experiments on students during detention." Calyn answered bitterly. "I'm gonna kill him. You can't say those things to a kid."

"What if he was right?" Hannah asked in a trembling voice.

"I've been experimented on before. If I let that happen to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Thanks, Calyn. Also, have you guys checked the bulletin board? They're assigning mentors tomorrow."

"Awesome," I said. "Personally, I'm hoping I get to work with Cassandra." I got up and helped clear the table.

~8~

After I was done, I walked with my friends to Camila's class. In the classroom, I noticed a new student, a guy who looked about seventeen, with dark hair and eyes.

Camila walked in. "Good morning, students. I am correct in assuming that there have been no changes to the class roster?" She scanned the room. "Ah, yes. Miss Saxon is still in my class despite my insistence that she needs combat skills like I need a hole in the head."

"You mean desperately?" Calyn muttered. A couple of people laughed.

"If I may continue," Camila said. "Today, we will be discussing methods of psychic attack and the species that use them, as well as how to defend yourself if possible. Ambrose, if you're so keen to contribute to the class, perhaps you know the best way to defend your memories from the renegade faction of the Papal Mainframe known as the Silence."

"Um," Calyn said apprehensively, "servants of the order sometimes wear external eye drives."

"I would expect you to know better than that. An eye drive is designed to transmit a fatal electric shock when its wearer has outlived their usefulness. Pearson, please tell us the correct way."

A kid in an Arcalian blazer stood up. "My lady, the correct method of defense would be either a memory implant or a protective layer of nonconductive material." He stammered slightly. "The reason, of course, being that they use electric pulses to erase all memory of an encounter, while at the same time leaving hypnotic commands."

"Thank you, Pearson. You may sit."

"Teacher's pet," Calyn muttered.

"Something you'd like to share with the class, Miss Ambrose?"

"No, my lady, nothing."

"Thank you. Now, what are some other species that are known to attack the mind?"

"The Dalek nanocloud," somebody called out. "And Cyber-variants."

"Correct. Any others?"

"The Nimon, and its cousin species. The Minotaur."

"Sycorax."

"Memory worms."

"Sontaran."

"Gallifreyans," I said bitterly. "You just have to look at Hannah to see that."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Miss Winters."

"The signal. The Sanction. Your best work, wouldn't you think, my lady Camila?"

The new guy smiled at me.

"Miss Winters, escort yourself to the headmistress' office immediately."

~8~

I knocked on the door to Lady Cassandra's office.

"Please come in," she said.

I walked into the office. "Yeah, so... I sort of got in trouble with the self-defense instructor."

"You're not the first. So, tell me. What did you do?"

"I only made a valid point about how our civilization isn't perfect."

"Ooh, that is not something you want to do in her class. Luckily, your philosophy professor is much more accepting of differing opinions."

"My lady, you are the philosophy professor."

"I suppose you're right. Coffee?" she asked, pouring herself a cup.

"She sent me down here for disciplinary measures and you're offering me a cup of coffee. I like you."

"Thanks," Lady Cassandra said with a smile. "I really do try to make you all feel welcome here."

"Then why'd you hire that old bat?"

"It was dumb luck," she explained. "It was around 1927 for me, for her it was more like 1984."

"Oh, I thought she acted a bit Orwellian."

"That's actually really clever. But anyway, Evanna, that's my TARDIS, she sort of flew me to West Point right as Camila was about to open her watch."

"Camila was at West Point? Okay, again, why does that not surprise me."

"She was exactly what we needed. An expert strategist, trained in security and self-defense, and, unfortunately, my Academy rival."

•°•Interlude: The Visionary's Confession•°•

 **First Regeneration**

"Come _on,_ Eta. You're gonna be late." The young Gallifreyan pulled her longtime rival and (she guessed) friend into the hall of the Academy.

"I told you, after today I'm not gonna be Eta Xi anymore. I'm changing it to-"

"Camila, I know. Pure, refined, uncorrupted. As if everyone hadn't already heard it a thousand times."

"Well, have you thought of yours, or are you keeping Cassandra?"

"I'm keeping Cassandra," Cass bubbled excitedly.

"Name like that, everyone'll think you've got a human fetish."

"We're both going into the Agency anyway." Cass fixed her hair. "I honestly don't think it matters."

"You really don't care about anything, do you? You've got no purpose. You're just drifting."

"Please. Not everybody has had a job lined up for them since they were Loomed." Cass was getting a bit sick of her friend's criticism.

"Can we just go?" Eta asked.

The two soon-to-be Time Lords went to graduation together.

~8~

 **Second Regeneration**

It soon became obvious that Cass was not meant for life as a Celestial Intervention Agency field operative. She was too kind, too merciful, too trusting. Camila, on the other hand, was ruthless. She shot first and asked questions later, and when she did ask questions, she was very, very good at getting the answers. "If you keep up this Good Cop thing, you're gonna be edged out of the rankings."

"I don't intend to give up the Good Cop thing. Even wanted fugitives deserve to be treated like people."

"Yes, Cassandra. People who have violated our laws and blatantly disrespected our traditions."

Cass walked away without a word.

~8~

 **Third Regeneration**

When they announced the names of everyone who made the final cut, Cass was not on the list. Of course, Camila was first place. No surprise there.

"Nice knowing you," Cass said. "Maybe I'll see you at the citadel, Lady President Romana agreed to take me on as an intern."

"Don't count on it, I'm going to be much too busy."

"Busy doing what? They couldn't have given you an assignment already."

"Actually, they did. I was assigned to detain the Master."

"What? He's my Cousin. If you hurt him, I swear on Rassilon's tomb that you will be punished for it. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to catch a shuttle to the Panopticon." Cassandra ran to the shuttle station.

~8~

 **Fourth Regeneration**

Cassandra, formerly the Visionary, opened the door to an office at West Point... to see a dark-haired woman in black and white Celestial Intervention Agency robes. Camila. "I do hope you're my ride back to Gallifrey," she said.

"Sadly, that's impossible. Gallifrey is all but gone." Cassandra looked the woman in the eyes.

"And you, I never thought I would see you again. Long time since the Academy."

"Do I know you?"

"I thought you'd never ask, Eta Xi."

"Cass? How did you find me?" Camila asked bitterly.

"I didn't. Evanna told me where you were. And I've got a proposal for you."

"Shoot."

"Well," Cassandra began, "Gallifrey may be gone, but the Time Lords aren't. Not by a long shot. And I was part of a last-ditch effort to preserve our civilization. Are you familiar with the Sanctuary Program?"

"Am I familiar with it, yes. What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you've just been recruited."

•°•End Interlude•°•

I didn't know what to think, at first. "I can't believe you two were actually friends."

"More like frenemies. Now we're colleagues, nothing more. I needed another Time Lord and she happened to be one."

"And the fact that the CIA kicked you out for being _too nice._ "

"I believe that all sentient beings have certain rights that need to be respected. And apparently, Coordinator Narvin didn't agree."

"Still totally not surprised," I said. "I think Lady Camila's class is over."

"What do you have next?"

I looked down at my schedule. "Well, would you look at that. I've got your class."

"How convenient."


End file.
